I've got to go with the Byrds as well. I mean, Buffalo Springfield may have had Neil Young and Stephen Stills, but those guys' best work was still yet to come. And overall, The Byrds had more of an overall vision and were far more consistent.

Well I guess now I know why this particular matchup wasn't done previously. I'll have a much tougher opponent for the Byrds the next time they step into the ring.

I would have gone for the Byrds myself fifteen years ago but the ethereal otherwordly feel of some of Buffalo Springfield's recordings including those above has grown on me over the last ten years.

Interesting too is that the Byrds had two transcendent chart hits in 1965 early in their career but never could quite get back to that level of excellence thereafter. There were potentially two reasons why they could not duplicate their early success:

1. The Byrds' first two LPs had been produced by Columbia's Terry Melcher. He had also produced the transcendent singles Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn! But the Byrds' manager Jim Dickson wanted the production gig himself and asked Columbia to replace Melcher. Columbia complied, but with Allen Stanton and not Jim Dickson.

2. The Byrds were formed when David Crosby joined up with folk rock singing duo Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark. Clark ended up being the main songwriter of the Byrds which left him better off financially than the others and prompted jealousy. His growing isolation within the band together with an increasing fear of flying combined to make it untenable for him to remain part of the Byrds. "If you can't fly, you can't be a Byrd" said Jim McGuinn. Clark left the Byrds in early 1966 just before Eight Miles High was released.

__________________The top rock 'n roll animal on this side of the tracks!

I like Buffalo Springfield a lot but The Byrds are one of America's best bands. I just recently got all The Byrds albums remastered and they sound absolutely incredible. They certainly rank as one of the most influential bands of the 60's.